Monday, December 28, 2009

SOUL CRAVINGSby Erwin Raphael McManus

"I wake up each morning reminded that all I need to face the day is to breathe deeply of fresh air and to find my way to the nearest Starbucks." If there's something that bonds me with another human at the most basic level, it's Starbucks.

I needed a book for lounging at the beach in Nhatrang and as a gift, this book came at just the right time. Like an open book, the author writes with a style that skips casual preambles and takes you immediately into his psyche. He compiles 68 short entries under three universal titles - Intimacy, Destiny, and Meaning. Short chapters allow long pauses between the chapters. He offers thoughts about God that most believers are too polite or afraid to articulate in public, or even in private to ourselves. But I think a person who's honest with himself is one who can be honest with God.

This book gave place to a powerful revelation: romantic love is not the highest level love: God's love is. God's love is a superior love that is accessible to all who believe in Him. Many people try to romanticize stuff in an attempt to elevate its importance: a recipe for disappointment.

Where you can get it: about S$20.00 SKS BooksLevel of impact: Short chapters engage me long enough to produce intimate interpretations on subject matter laid out.Timing of book: When I needed something deep and bite-size

The Couch Blogger

I'm grateful to my father for teaching me to read, and introducing me to a couple who were voracious readers who modeled for me a lifestyle of reading in the family. Readers are instinctively drawn to each other and I'm grateful for friends who had shared their love of books with me. People who love to cook serve food, but book lovers know that if something is a good read, their friends must have it too because there is nothing more intimate than sharing a book with someone. My reviews are reflections on the books I have read - so they are very personal and stretch your imagination beyond the gist of the book. Whether you are a reader or not, I hope you will find a title here that inspires.